Choices
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Robin and Barney mull their choices after an unplanned pregnancy. Barney/Robin, warning for abortion.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own How I Met Your Mother and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

**Warning: **Abortion is the plot in this fic. Don't read it if offends you!

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When the stick in Robin's hand turns blue, she feels like the floor has fallen out from under her and she has to sit down. There's no joy in being pregnant. She's not happy about this. She _can't _be a mother, and Robin tells Barney that.

"I can't be a father either, Robin. What do you want to do?" Barney's freaking out, but he's not about to let his girlfriend know that. She doesn't need that on top of her own freak out.

"I don't want a baby. I need to talk to Lily." Robin is 95 percent sure of what she wants to do, but she needs to talk to her best friend first. Lily will offer advice and not judge her.

"Go ahead." Barney is already planning on going to MacLarens and getting drunk with Marshall and Ted. That seems like a freaking fantastic idea.

"Okay." Robin feels awkward around Barney. She's _pregnant _and the mere thought of that makes her want to throw up. However, that could be morning sickness, too. Robin can't really tell. She dials Lily's number and rushes over to the Aldrins' apartment. Barney grabs Marshall and the visiting Ted, and bolts for the bar.

"What's up?" asks a worried Lily. Something's bothering her best friend, and she thinks it's something she's been suspecting for a few days now. The next words out of Robin's mouth confirms her suspicions.

"I'm pregnant," she informs her and bursts into tears. Robin doesn't know why she's crying. Could it be the hormones coursing her body? She isn't sure.

"Oh, sweetie. I take you don't want the baby?" Lily knows that Robin and Barney aren't the type of people who want have kids or even get married. They prefer Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin. Those roles suit them.

"I really don't. I could give the baby up for adoption, and I'm sure Barney would support that idea. I know he would. He loves me so much, Lil. I don't want to go through with this pregnancy. I want to abort." Robin really wishes she was experiencing another scare. She had had several over the years, and it would be infinity better than this.

"Abortion and adoption are both perfectly fine. Go with your heart. Talk it over with Barney, and decide from there. It's your choice, though." Lily just doesn't want Robin to be unhappy. She knows that Robin would be if she decided to keep the baby.

"Okay. I'll talk it over with Barney as soon as he sobers up tomorrow." Robin knows her boyfriend, however, and he's going to want to avoid the situation for as long as he can. She's not letting him get away with that.

"Okay. Now you want some ice cream?" Lily is so glad that Tyler and Leah are currently down for the night. She doesn't have the energy to deal with a toddler, a five month old, and a hysterical Robin tonight.

Robin nods and sniffles. She happily grabs a spoon and digs into the ice cream container with her best friend. The two girls fall asleep on the couch, watching one of their favorite "feel good" movies.

When Robin wakes up in the morning, she bolts to the bathroom to throw up. It's her usual pattern this past two weeks, and she can't wait for that to end. It's irritating and she hates the vomiting.

"Promise me you'll talk to Barney today." Lily isn't going to let up on this. The pregnancy and what to do is a very important conversation for Barney and Robin. They can't stall on having it. They need to decide on what they're going to do.

Robin sighed as she brushed her teeth yet again. "I promise we'll talk about it today after work." She doesn't even want to have this conversation at all, but she and Barney have to deal with the fact that she's pregnant. They can't ignore what's going on. Robin doesn't even know how far along she is! She needs to make an appointment with her OB/GYN as soon as possible.

Lily stares at her suspiciously, but doesn't say anything as one of the babies begins to cry. She heads into the nursery, and Robin leaves for work.

By the time Robin comes home from work, she has an appointment with her doctor for the next day and she's terrified of going. Barney's home, and the conversation she's been avoiding has to start now.

"You left me a message that we needed to talk?" Barney isn't sure he even wants to talk, acknowledge the fact that Robin's pregnant, but they have to.

Robin nodded. "We need to discuss my pregnancy. Obviously, we don't want to be parents. We'd suck at it. We both know we'd screw this kid up. I want an abortion, but adoption is also a possibility." She's aware that she sounds like a robot right now, but doesn't care. She wants to remain emotionless. It's easier that way.

"Robin, I don't want to be a dad either, but I'd support any decision you decide to make. I won't be mad if you abort or give the baby up for adoption or go through with the pregnancy. That last one would probably scare the crap out of me, but still. I love you. I'm not going anywhere, Baby." Barney grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

Robin smiled through the tears that had started to fall. She couldn't stop crying, it seemed like. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I can go by myself, or you could go with me if you want. It doesn't matter."

"I'll go with you." Barney wasn't about to let his girlfriend go to the doctor's alone. He wanted to be there for her.

"Thank you." Robin kissed him, and the two headed into the kitchen to eat dinner. That night, instead of having sex, Barney wrapped his arms around Robin and just held her. He wasn't about to take advantage of his vulnerable girlfriend tonight. Robin wasn't up to having sex. She was really upset about the pregnancy.

When Robin and Barney got off their lunch break the next afternoon, they immediately headed to Robin's doctor's office.

"You're definitely pregnant, about eight weeks along," the OB/GYN informed the two. She smiled at Barney and Robin.

Robin sighed in relief. She was still in her first trimester, enough time to get an abortion. She still hadn't made up her mind on what to do, although she was still leaning towards abortion. "Thank you."

After the doctor discussed all the options with Barney and Robin, since she was aware that they didn't want to be parents, the couple returned home with Chinese food. They talked about all their options over dinner.

"I don't want to give the baby up for adoption. Yes, they could go to some couple who desperately wants a baby, but I don't want to be pregnant anymore. I'm getting an abortion. It's my final decision," Robin informed Barney.

Barney went over to her and sat down next to Robin. "I completely support this. It's hard to not think about life with a baby would be like, but you're right. We would be really sucky parents. I love you. And I'll even go to the clinic with you if you want."

"Thank you so much." Robin was thrilled that Barney hadn't freaked out or demanded she continue the pregnancy or something like that. It was sweet how supportive he was.

"I love you. That's never going to change, no matter what you do," Barney assured her. He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend.

Robin smiled at him. "I love you, too." She called the nearest clinic and made an appointment. She wanted this taken care of immediately. Unfortunately, her appointment wasn't for another three days.

Barney and Robin lived in a state of limbo for the next few days. Lily talked to Robin whenever she had the time, while Marshall and Ted took Barney to a movie to get his mind off everything.

When it came time for the appointment, Barney and Robin waited nervously in the waiting room until Robin's name was called. Barney tried to keep his mind off what was happening to Robin, but it was hard. He couldn't focus on anything else.

"You okay?" questioned a worried Barney when Robin entered the waiting room again a little while later.

Robin nodded. "I will be," she answered. She grabbed Barney's hand, and the two went back to their apartment. They weren't up for a bar trip tonight. It just didn't feel right.

Barney and Robin remained Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin to Marshall and Lily and Ted and his wife's children. They embraced that role wholeheartedly. It was fun for them to have the kids sleep over for one night and then send them back to their parents. They spoiled their nieces and nephews rotten.

Barney and Robin never once regretted their decision to abort the pregnancy. They had been right – The couple wouldn't have liked parenthood at all. It was more fun to be by themselves. They couldn't have raised a kid. Sometimes they thought about what life would have been like with a child, but those thoughts were few and far between. As the years went by, those thoughts eventually stopped completely. It hurt to think about what their child's life would have been like. It wasn't a good idea to think about the "what if's."

The couple had made the right choice for them. No one would ever be able to tell them differently.


End file.
